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| 'Yellow card' warning as Aberdeen and Celtic matches are called off | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon has issued a warning to Scottish football as Celtic and Aberdeen matches were called off after their players broke lockdown rules. | |
| The first minister had said the two clubs should not play this week. | |
| She said she did not want rule-abiding clubs and players, or fans, to be punished for the individual breaches. | |
| But she warned: "Consider today the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice." | |
| Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli flew to Spain without the club's knowledge, failed to quarantine, then played in Sunday's match against Kilmarnock. | Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli flew to Spain without the club's knowledge, failed to quarantine, then played in Sunday's match against Kilmarnock. |
| The previous weekend eight Aberdeen players broke lockdown regulations by visiting a bar together. | The previous weekend eight Aberdeen players broke lockdown regulations by visiting a bar together. |
| Ms Sturgeon said news of Bolingoli's "flagrant breach" of the guidelines came through while the national clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, was holding a meeting with the managers and captains of Scotland's top flight clubs to reinforce the importance of the guidance. | |
| What games were cancelled? | |
| She said: "This is just not acceptable. | She said: "This is just not acceptable. |
| "Every day I stand here and ask members of the public to make huge sacrifices on how they live their lives. The vast majority are doing that and it's not easy. | |
| "We can't have privileged football players just deciding that they are not going to bother. This can't go on." | |
| Talks are continuing with the football authorities, and an update is expected later on Tuesday. | Talks are continuing with the football authorities, and an update is expected later on Tuesday. |
| Ms Sturgeon indicated "very clear penalties" will be in place for players and clubs when the rules are breached. | Ms Sturgeon indicated "very clear penalties" will be in place for players and clubs when the rules are breached. |
| The first minister said footballers are "talented, skilled, hard-working professionals" and "well-rewarded" role models. | The first minister said footballers are "talented, skilled, hard-working professionals" and "well-rewarded" role models. |
| But she added: "I don't think it is too much to ask them to live up to that, and that is all we are asking." | But she added: "I don't think it is too much to ask them to live up to that, and that is all we are asking." |
| Prof Leitch said footballers who flout the regulations pose a risk to public health and endanger the return of all elite sport. | Prof Leitch said footballers who flout the regulations pose a risk to public health and endanger the return of all elite sport. |
| He said Bolingoli had travelled to a "high risk country" then went to work and "put both his team and the opposing team at risk of catching coronavirus. | He said Bolingoli had travelled to a "high risk country" then went to work and "put both his team and the opposing team at risk of catching coronavirus. |
| "There has to be an implication of that in public health terms for those he was in contact with and their contact with others." | "There has to be an implication of that in public health terms for those he was in contact with and their contact with others." |
| Bolingoli played in Sunday's match against Kilmarnock even though he should have been self-isolating. | Bolingoli played in Sunday's match against Kilmarnock even though he should have been self-isolating. |
| The defender said he was "guilty of an error of judgement" and apologised. | The defender said he was "guilty of an error of judgement" and apologised. |
| Celtic apologised and said his actions were "beyond explanation". All players and backroom staff have since been tested twice and returned negative results. | Celtic apologised and said his actions were "beyond explanation". All players and backroom staff have since been tested twice and returned negative results. |
| Eight Aberdeen players have apologised for visiting a bar at the centre of a Covid-19 outbreak in the city. | |
| Two of the players later tested positive for the virus, while six are currently self-isolating. | Two of the players later tested positive for the virus, while six are currently self-isolating. |
| Physical distancing | |
| A total of 165 positive cases of coronavirus are now linked to the outbreak in Aberdeen. | |
| Dr Emmanuel Okpo, consultant in Public Health Medicine, said a lack of physical distancing had been "the significant factor in the spread of these cases". | |
| He said it was now likely that all licensed premises in the city had been affected. | |
| "This is because physical distancing - or the lack of it - has come up repeatedly in our investigation," he said. | |
| "I would stress again that we must all take personal responsibility for physical distancing." |